La Liga on Sunday released a statement saying Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract was still valid, days after his shock announcement that he wants to leave the club and hours after he failed to attend a pre-season medical on Sunday.

The ruling body said the only way for the Argentine forward to be released from the contract was to trigger a 700-million euros ($833 million) release clause.

“In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid,” La Liga said in a statement.

Messi did not attend a medical with Barcelona on Sunday, a club source confirmed. Footage showed players arriving for coronavirus tests on Sunday morning and Messi did not appear.

The 33-year-old six-time World Player of the Year informed his lifelong club on Tuesday he wished to leave immediately, plunging Barca into new turmoil less than two weeks after their humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.

Messi’s lawyers plan to invoke a clause in his four-year contract, signed in 2017, which would have allowed the forward to leave the club for free if he had requested it by June 10.

They will argue that that date — nominally the end of the season — is now irrelevant after the coronavirus delays that led to the season’s extension and the team playing deep into August.

Senior figures at the club though expect Messi to join Manchester City. The Spanish club, it has been learnt, is preparing for life without their iconic captain by looking at potential replacements including Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.

According to sources, key individuals at the Catalan club believe that City’s pursuit of Messi may well prove successful in what would be one of the most remarkable transfers in history.

The news comes with City manager Pep Guardiola facing the prospect of isolating for 14 days after travelling to Barcelona last week.

It is understood City are relaxed about Guardiola’s trip. The majority of his players are on international duty and are not expected back until Sept 9 or 10 when they will have to be tested for coronavirus.